Since Windows 95 in 1995, the screen saver has been with us throughout the process of using PC computers.
Many users have saved a series of favorite pictures or creative texts, letting the computer screen start to loop after being idle for a period of time.
However, in the past few years, the era of screensavers is considered to be over, even if the new Windows 11 operating system still retains the relics of the past screensavers-whether in the "background picture" or "lock screen interface" there is a loop Option to change the wallpaper.
But what Microsoft considers more is to let users have fresh senses, and the role of protecting the screen has long since disappeared. So, why do today’s computers no longer need a screen saver, no matter on Windows 10 or 11?
Why was a screen saver ever useful?
The era of "big head" CRT monitors seems to have passed for a long time, but in fact, it is only in the past ten years that LCD liquid crystal monitors completely replaced CRT monitors.
The rapid development of the technology field makes us continue to face innovation and reflection. In the 1990s, using a screen saver was the most effective function for protecting CRT monitors. The CRT display uses a cathode ray tube (CathodeRayTube) to emit electron beams to excite the phosphors on the inner surface of the screen to display images.
If the image on the screen does not change for a long time, there is a risk that the image will burn on the screen. The screen saver avoids such risks by constantly changing the image.
For modern LCD and even OLED displays, the probability of "burning screen" has been greatly reduced. Using a screen saver will not only fail to protect the screen, but will also occupy the system's graphics hardware, resulting in a corresponding increase in power consumption. When using a 3D screen, this is especially true when protecting programs.
Turn off the computer to save battery
Generally speaking, if you do not use your PC or laptop for a long time, it is recommended to turn them off.
Thanks to the popularity of SSDs, modern computers can restart the system very quickly, even within 10 seconds, without waiting for a long time. Although the computer will consume power again when it starts, it is still worth shutting down if you are away for a long time. Therefore, under Windows 11, shutting down computers that are no longer in use is obviously preferable to using a screen saver.